"Haunting" is exactly the term for it. I know others have knocked the silly robots and laser guns.

But I have always felt The Black Hole's spooky emotional impact, through the visuals and music. Although the visuals are now dated, what they were aiming for strikes true. It's a vision of the future that strikes a chord in me: dark uncaring space, the black hole a crushing force more powerful than the sun, ego and insane genius, science and what's beyond science, the horror of the old crew's fate. The music with its heavy repeated theme is like the crushing presence of the black hole itself: relentless. A new God if ever there was one.

In my opinion it has more emotional impact than Solaris, which threw in too much "murder mystery" and sort of confused me. The Black Hole is simple: it is clearly beyond knowledge and all the spookier for it.

If you get a thrill from the idea of scientific discovery, give this underrated film a chance. You won't be disappointed.

This movie received some hype when it debuted, as critics noted that it was the first non-kids movie from Disney--receiving a PG rating (unheard of at the time for Disney). As a result, I went to the movie with pretty high expectations.

The plot and acting would probably merit a score of 4--maybe 5 in a pinch. Not especially good but not terrible. However, the movie really falls apart towards the end. What little momentum the movie generated becomes completely derailed, as it appeared they did not have an ending when they began filming--choosing to just "wing it". Instead of the payoff for this dreary piece, the viewers were treated(?) to a combination of the ending of 2001 and some sort of avant garde art film that made absolutely no sense (unless you are on LSD or mentally imbalanced). You see, everyone is sucked into the black hole and, of course, this results in them flying through some silly corridors in billowy robes. Then, without explanation, they are back on the ship none the worse for wear! Huh?!?!?! PLEASE hit me on the head with a hammer if I ever ask to see this movie again!

Yes The Black Hole may have some silly dialogue and uneven acting, excepting Maximillian Schnell who is absolutely brilliant, but it is a very underrated film in my opinion. I love the story, it was an intriguing idea and it was compelling and moved at a good pace. The ending is wonderfully haunting and surreal, the direction is secure and the film's villain is one of the memorable ones I have seen in a while, twisted, tormented yet with a touch of humanity about him too. I did connect to the characters, yes even VINCENT and BOB. But what makes The Black Hole are the production values and music. The special effects, cinematography, design of the robots and set/scenery design are absolutely breathtaking and the score from the late legendary John Barry compliments the film perfectly. All in all, a very underrated film. 8/10 Bethany Cox